Gaza authorities reported massive damage but remarkably, no casualties were reported. Sources in the Gaza Strip said that Hamas ordered all its men to abandon their bases and offices in anticipation of an Israeli retaliatory attack.

This is the first time that rockets have been fired at Tel Aviv since the period leading up to the 2014 Operation Protective Edge IDF ground incursion into Gaza. It should be noted that the Israeli national elections are less than one month away.

An IDF statement placed the responsibility of the rocket fire on the Hamas terrorist group that currently rules in Gaza. The IDF issued a statement saying the “Hamas terror group carried out the rocket fire.”Hamas denied that their military forces fired the rockets.

The Islamic Jihad terrorist group has fired rockets at Israel in the past but the Israel government holds Hamas responsible for all military activities inside Gaza.

Speaking to Palestinian news agency Quds Network, Daoud Shehab, the spokesman for the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, denied that his group was responsible for the rockets fired at Israel.

“These accusations are mere lies by the Israeli occupation,” Daoud Shihab said. “Our movement and its military wing the Al-Quds Brigades did not fire any rockets.”

Today it became clear for the umpteenth time Hamas is a terrorist gang that kidnapped 2 million Palestinians & oppresses them. Thousands of Gazans protested today against it.

On Thursday, there was massive rioting inside the Strip, protesting against Hamas usurping foreign humanitarian aid money for their own use. Hamas responded with live rounds being fired into the air. Several protesters were wounded. Hamas authorities confiscated cell phones that had been used to record the events.

It is unclear how this escalation will affect the Hamas-led March of Return riots that have been waged for the past year against the security fence separating Israel from Gaza. There is usually a significant increase in activity on Friday, with several thousand Gazans arriving. Reports suggested that Islamic Jihad confirmed that the riots will not take place today.

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About the Author

Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz is a features writer for Breaking Israel News. He made Aliyah to Israel in 1991 and served in the IDF as a combat medic. Berkowitz studied Jewish law and received rabbinical ordination in Israel. He has worked as a freelance writer and two works of fiction, The Hope Merchant and Dolphins on the Moon, are available on Amazon. He lives in the Golan Heights with his wife and their four children.